Fbederick pitt



(MOdGL) P. PITT.

STOP WATCH.

No. 325,402. Patented Sept. 1, 1885.

N, PETERS Photo-Lithographer, Wnshinglan. D. C

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK FITT, OF CHAUX-DE-FONDS, NEUFOHATEL, SVITZERLAND.

STOP-WATC H.

'SPECIFICATIQN 'orming part of Letters Patent No. 325,402, dated September 1, 1835.

Application filed July 5, 138-1. (NI 11 -I.)

' esty the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland,

have invented a new and useful Improvement in Chronographs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to watches; and it is designed to render ordinary watches-capable of use as stop-watches through mechanism controlling the seconds-hand, and serving, first, to bring the same to a given point and then stop it, then start, stop, and throw back said hand to the starting-point without in any way nterfering with the ordinary functions or op erations of the hour and minute hands.-

In the drawings annexed, Figure l is a face view of the dial-plate of the watch with the dial removed, and showing the stop mechanism as it stands when holding the seconds hand out of action and at the zero-point Fig. 2, rear view of said plate, showing the push bar or lever; Fig. 3, a view similar to Fig. 1, but with the parts in the position they occupy while the seconds-hand is in motion Fig. 4, a like view, showing the position of the parts when the seconds-hand is stopped for reading the seconds, and Fig. 5 a perspective view of the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 6, a section on the line as x of Fig. 3.

The action of the parts is such that, starting with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1, the first movement of the push button or lever causes the seconds-hand to start and move with the minute and'ho'ur hands in the ordinary manner; the second movement stops the seconds-hand and allows the seconds to be accurately read; the third movement again sets the seconds-hand in motion and permits the watch to run,as usual; and a fourth movementor actuation of the push-button brings the seconds-hand to rest at the zero or starting point, ready to begin a new record.

Referring 110w to the drawings, A indicates the upper dial-plate of the watch, Figs. 1, 3, 4, and 5 showing the front face or that next to the dial, and Fig. 2 the under or inner face. This plate is recessed to receive the stop mechanism, and constitutes a part of a watch of ordinary construction so far as the timemovement is concerned.

Bindicatesthe pivot orshaftwhich gives motion to the seconds-hand, which hand is carried by a tubular shaft or sleeve, 0, encircling the shaft B, and provided with a heartshaped cam, D, bearing a light spring, E, which works through an opening in the side of the sleeve 0, and bears against the shaft B, producing sufficient friction to insure the movement of the sleeve and seconds-hand with the shaft when not held out of action by the devices provided for that purpose. Sleeve or tubular shaft 0 is formed or provided with a disk, at, to bear against the under face of the dial, when required to overcome the friction of spring E and hold the sleeve and its seconds-hand out of action. Below this disk (1, the sleeve is provided with a circumferential groove, b, made to receive the arms of the forked end of a spring plate or bar, F, secured at one end to plate A, and normally pressing down toward the face of said plate, or tending to remain at rest in the groove without pressing either up or down therein. Vhen the spring thus remains inactive in the groove, the sleeve 0 rotates with the shaft B; but if said spring be raised up it lifts the sleeve with it and causes disk a to bear against the under face of the dial, thereby stopping the secondshand, as above explained.

For the purpose of controlling the action of the spring bar or plate F, and thereby the action of the secondshand, I employ a lever or arm, G, pivoted to the plate A, formed with a V shaped head, d, to act upon the heart-cam D and'bring the same to a definite and predetermined position, as is common and well understood in this class of watches, and having a tail or extension, 0, acted upon by a spring, H, which tends constantly to throw the head d against the heart-cam. The arm or lever G works between the plate A and spring F, and when moved toward the fixed end of said spring, which is closer to plate A than the free or forked end, as shown in Fig. 6, servesto raise said forked end, and in thus rising the spring carries with it the sleeve 0 and presses its disk (1. against the dial J. WVhen the arm or lever G occupies the position indicated in Fig. 3, it leaves the spring F free in groove 0, and consequently inert or inactive. When thrown against the cam D, as in Figs. 1 and 5, the arm or lever G carries the cam to the position shown in said figures, and holds it there, the shaft or pivot B continuing to rotate at all times, and having only the exceedingly slight friction of spring to overcome when the sleeve 0 is held at rest.

To operate and control the lever G, I provide a combined ratchet-wheel, I, and camwheel I, the two being either made integral or rigidly united so as to move in unison. The ratchet wheel is here shown as containing twelve teeth, which number is preferred, but may be varied; and the cam-wheel I is represented as having three notches, f, or re cesses, each followed by an elevated face, 9, a second and higher face or projection, 71, and a third face, i, of the same elevation as face 9. From this construction of the cam it follows that when one of the notchesf is brought beneath a spur, j, of the arm or lever G, said spur drops into the notch and the head (1 acts upon the cam D, bringing it to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 5, carrying the secondshand to the zero-point and holding the sleeve 0 and the seconds hand against movement. If, now, the ratchet-wheel be moved the distance of the teeth, the spurj of lever G will ride up the incline face of notch f and rest upon face 9, thereby bringing the lever to the position indicated in Fig. 8, and allowing the sleeve 0 and its seconds-hand to rotate with shaft 13. The movement of the ratchetwheel one tooth farther causes spur j to ride up the curved or inclined face of the projection 71 to the position indicated in Fig. 4, throwing arm or lever G to the position there indicated, and causing it to lift spring F, and thereby to press disk a up against the dial J, thereby stopping the seconds-hand and permitting the seconds to be accurately read. A third movement of the ratchet-wheel the dis tance of a tooth brings the face i beneath the spurj, which allows the lever G to resume the position shown in Fig. 3, but with spur'j on the opposite side ofshoulder 71., whereupon the seconds-hand again begins to move from the point at whieh its motion was arrested, the watch then running in its ordinary way.

\Vhcnever it is desired to use the watch as a stopwatch, a fourth or new movement of the wheel I a distance of one tooth brings the parts to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 5 and the seconds-hand to rest at zero ready for starting, as above. The ratchet-wheel is retated step by step, one tooth at a time, by means of a dog, K, pivoted to one end of a vibrating or rocking lever, L, pivoted to the plate A and furnished with a stud or pushbutton, M, by which to move it. A spring, N, serves to hold the dog in engagement with the teeth of ratchet-wheel I, a spring, 0, prevents the backward rotation of said wheel, and a spring, 1?, throws inward that end of lever L to which dog is attached. By merely pressing and releasing button M alternately, the required motions are effected.

I do not claim in this application anything claimed in my application filed January 22, 1884, and designated by Serial No. 118,322.

Three teeth instead of four may be provided for each notch f, in which case bearing-face i will be omitted and but three different notches will be provided. As, however, such arrangement would necessitate an additional motion to start the watch, I prefer the construction shown. So, too, a single notch f and one each of the faces g h i may be used with four ratchetteeth.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In combination with an ordinary watch movement and dial, a sleeve encircling the seconds shaft or pivot provided with a secondshand, a disk to bear against the dial, and a heart-cam carrying a friction-spring to act upon said shaft, a spring having its-end seated in a groove in said sleeve, and a lever having a V-shaped end working beneath the latter spring and serving to raise and lower the same, substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination with plate A and see ends-shaft B of a watclrmovement, sleeve 0, encircling said shaft and provided with disk a, circumferential grooveb, and cam D, spring F, having its end seated in said groove, and shiftable lever G, provided with head (Z and extending beneath spring F, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In combination with a watch movement and dial, a sleeve or tubular shaft encircling the seconds-shaft of said movement, bearing the seconds-hand, provided with a light friction-spring resting upon said shaft, and with a disk and a bar adapted and arranged to lift the sleeve and press the disk into engagement with the dial, substantially as shown and described.

4. In combination with a watch movement and dial, a sleeve, 0, encircling the second shaft B and provided with disk a, groove 7), and cam 1), spring F, secured to the watchplate and having its free end seated in groove b, lever G, extending beneath spring F, and provided with head (I, cam-wheel I, and mechanism, substantially such as described and shown, adapted to impart a step-by-step rotation to the wheel I.

5. In combination with a watch movement and dial, a sleeve, 0, encircling the secondsshaft B and provided with disk a, groove Z), and cam D, spring F, secured to the watchplate and having its free end seated in groove I), lever G, extending beneath spring F and provided with spur j and head (I, cam whecl I, provided with notches f and faces 9 h 'z', ratchet-wheel I, lever L, provided with stud M, dog K, carried by said lever, and springs N O P, applied to the dog, the ratchet-wheel, and the lever, substantially as shown and described.

FREDERIOK FI'IT.

\Vitnesses:

J. BonLrz, A. ScnwoB.

IIO

'It is hereby certified that Letters Patent N 0. 325,402, granted September 1, L881, upon the application of Frederick Fitt, of Ghaux-de-Fonds, Neufchatel, Switzerland, for an improvement in Stop Watches, were erroneously issued to said Fitt; that said Letters Patent should have bee11 issued to Sehwob Freres, as assignees or said Fitt; and that the said Letters Patent should be read With this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the ease in the Patent Office.

Signed, eountersigned, and sealed this 3d day of November, A. D. 1885.

[SEAL] H. L. MULDROW,

Acting Secretary of the Interim. Counter-signed:

M. V. MONTGOMERY,

Commissioner of Patents.

'It is hereby certified that Letters Patent No. 325,402, granted September 1, 185 1, upon the application of Frederick Fitt, of Ghaux-tie-Fonds, Neufehzitel, Switzerland, for an improvement in Stop Watches, were erroneously issued to said Fitt; that said Letters Patent should have been issued to Schwob Frres, a-s assignees of said Fitt; and that the said Letters Patent should be read. with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the ease in the Patent Office.

Signed, countersigned, and sealed this 3d day of November, A. D. 1885.

H. L. MULDROVV,

[SEAL] Acting Secretary of the Interior. Counter-signed:

M. V. MONTGOMERY,

Commissioner of Patents. 

